The Fullerton City Council proudly announces the permanent appointment of Jon Radus as the Chief of Police, marking a significant moment in the city’s commitment to public safety and community engagement. The decision was reached during the city council meeting on January 16, 2024. Chief Radus, who has been serving as Interim Police Chief since September 8, 2023, will continue to lead the Fullerton Police Department in this permanent capacity.
Having served the Fullerton Police Department for over 20 years, Jon Radus has exhibited unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership throughout his career. Radus, who previously held the position of Captain, has demonstrated his commitment to the community through various roles within the department, including Patrol Officer, Gang and Narcotics Detective, Field Training Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Community Services Supervisor, Watch Commander, Traffic Bureau Commander, Investigations Bureau Commander, and Public Information Officer.
Mayor Nicholas Dunlap expressed his congratulations, stating, “Jon Radus has served our community for more than two decades as a member of the Fullerton Police Department. He has proactively built relationships with the community and helped to instill the sense of public trust that is held by the department today. I can think of no one more deserving of the honor to lead our police department than Chief Radus. I congratulate him and wish him the best.”
Chief Jon Radus expressed his gratitude, stating, “I am honored and privileged to continue leading the dedicated men and women of the Fullerton Police Department as the permanent Chief of Police. This appointment reflects the collective efforts of our entire department who relentlessly work to keep our community safe. I am thankful to the Fullerton City Council for their ongoing support, trust, and confidence. Together, we will continue strengthening our community partnerships and enhancing the quality of life for all residents in Fullerton.”
The Fullerton Police Department, consisting of approximately 190 employees, including 130 sworn officers and 60 civilian positions, handles close to 50,000 calls for service annually. Embracing a community-based policing philosophy, the department believes in the power of communication and cooperation between law enforcement and the community to better serve the community as a whole.
Chief Radus holds a BA in Business and Organizational Management from the University of California-Berkeley, with a minor in City and Regional Planning. He is a graduate of the Cal State Fullerton Leadership Development in Public Agencies Consortium and the LAPD West Point Leadership Program. Chief Radus serves as an instructor in the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Management Course through the Cal State Long Beach Foundation, is a member of the IACP, and serves on the Traffic Safety Committee for the California Police Chief’s Association. Additionally, he is a Board Member for Families Forward, a non-profit with the mission of ending family homelessness. Chief Radus is married and has three children.
Share this:
Discover more from Fullerton Observer
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Local Government, Local News
I would be interested in knowing how the city chose him if many candidates and why they hired from inside vs. outside the department. Former chief Dunn was hired Dunn from outside the department and was not apart of the pre Kelly Thomas “culture of corruption” that independent was investigator Genaco had talked about in his review which the city had contracted. John Radus was present during this period and was also on the now disbanded gang unit.
It would be certainly interesting to hear his views on policing and we’re the department is going and has evolved through times. Does he value the changes in the department or is his approach more of the old school approach to policing?
I guess these questions if asked of him are a more private matter that the city does feel the need nor the requirement to vet publicly.
This is interesting since the paper received other emails stating the exact wording. I wonder if they are reading this and just copying it. The information here is inaccurate.
Chief Dunn came to Fullerton PD as Police Captain from the City of Anaheim, where he served as a Police Lieutenant. He was not originally hired as a Chief. After being a Captain for 8 months, FPD had an unexpected void at the Chief rank and Chief Dunn then became the Acting Chief, then Interim Chief, and was then named Chief of Police after proving his ability to do so. He was named Chief without a formal recruitment process (outside of his time in the Interim Role), which is not unusual for many cities to do for various different Department Head positions that are internal. In my case, there was a formal recruitment process for Chief of Police with numerous other outside applicants.
The Gang Unit was not disbanded and carried long after Radus changed assignments.
As to why he was chosen, perhaps you should ask your district council member or the city manager.